A little bit of local love from me. While currently reside on the Cambridge-side of the Charles, there are certain locales which I must frequent on the other side of the river – the Boston side. It just happens that  Government Center (or Downtown Crossing to some) is home to one of Boston’s finest “new” hotels. The Ames Hotel, built inside the old Ames Building, just steps from the Old State House, was renovated by the Morgans Hotel Group back in 2009.  Today, it is a much needed hotel destination in this area of Boston. Washington Street which connects Government Center to the Theatre District, is a frequent shopping haunt for many. The Ames places a drop-pin on the far end of Washington, for both accommodations, dinner, and night life.

Photography: Jeff Carvalho/Selectism.com

Read more on the Ames Hotel, Boston after the click.

Here’s an exclusive video from Selectism. We take a quick factory tour through Sterlingwear of Boston: the sole supplier of peacoats to the U.S. Navy. Jack Foster, Sterlingwear’s head of marketing,  discusses the company’s history in the garment sector and the pride they take in producing the very best in outwear.

Nice one bruv. J. Crew finally escapes from New York to lay down their first men’s store off the island. Boston gets the nod – and rightfully so. This city (I spend lots of time in Boston) is probably an even more appropriate location for their take on menswear than NYC is. It is one of the largest university towns in the nation and is filled with gents looking to step up their game. Boston needed this. Best of all students get a 15% discount; a nice goodwill gesture. (photo credit)

The J. Crew Men’s Shop in Boston can be found in Copley Square.

Labeled Boston, made in Fall River, AJ Stephans makes one hell of a ginger beer. It is one of roughly nine flavors the firm produces… to be honest, the only one we’ve tasted… and enough to suggest their claim of “New England’s Best Tonic” might worry some of the family owned soda brands in Connecticut.

While Dark n’ Stormy season might be ending for some, we recommend a last hurrah and a tango with AJ Stephans.

Until I spent several years working with some of the mega collectors of Mt. Washington Glass, my interest in the glass industry and its breadth in Massachusetts was minimal at best. However, learning about the process of manufacture and the ties to American cultural history, I’ve become rather intrigued by the whole story.

Releasing in October, The Glass Industry in South Boston, is bound to satisfy a recent need for new research. The book was spearheaded by renowned appraiser Joan Kaiser, and covers Boston furnaces from 1811 to centuries end. Add to that the most complete pictorial history of Boston glass, and you’ve got a comprehensive tome.

Sound boring? Probably. But, don’t discount the glass industries roll in shaping America from art to lighting.

The Glass Industry in South Boston will be published by the University Press of New England.

Available for pre-order now from Amazon.

PUMA City is doing something with their 11,000 sq/ft container space that not many others have done. The idea of converting shipping containers into a retail space is not new. Switzerland’s Freitag’s did it back in 2006 with their Zurich shop, but unlike the Freitag experience, the PUMA City experience is mobile.

Created by Lot-Ek, 24 containers have been retrofitted and “transformed” into a mobile retail experience that is travelling city to city with PUMA’s Volvo Ocean Racing Team. Boston, my city, is the next stop on the tour. Three weeks of events are planned, so be sure to swing through Beantown. (photos via Evan Saunders/Flickr)

More views of the Boston PUMA City Buildout after the jump.

Josh Spear just did a great review on Liberty Hotel in Boston. Saying "this is a hotel for hotel connoisseurs, and for those of you out there who don’t yet know that you’re a hotel connoisseur, the Liberty may just clarify that question for you." It’s a very interesting read and might surprise a lot of people. I lived in Boston for about 4 years before moving to NYC and never even heard of it. Read the full article at Joshspear.com

A view of the hotels past as a prison,

Louis Boston may be moving doors in Boston but they’re still pulling in some serious exclusives in mens wear. Their Louis shoe from Harrys of London will be available only through their Newbury Street doors. As mentioned on mens.style, "Although the shoes are named for the store’s founder, their pared-back elegance is a tribute to the fourth-generation owner, Debi Greenberg, who seems to inspire an unusual level of devotion from her vendors…"

Available this fall for 550$US.

Sometimes good things take time. That can be said about the The Achilles Project which has finally opened its doors in Boston. Serving as a multipurpose space, specifically a fashion boutique and restaurant, The Achilles Project offers a new concept in retail to a hungry Boston market (no pun intended).

The Achilles Project Retail Division carries more than 35 brands including Surface to Air, JOHAN by J. Lindeberg, Rogues Gallery, Bing Bang, Flippa K, Maharishi, and many more.

The Restaurant portion of the space, Persephone, is run by head chef Michael Leviton and is locally focused in menu and produce.

The Achilles Project can be found in the thriving Four Points Channel district of Boston, in the same vicinity as the Harborwalk, and my personal favorite outdoor venue, the Boston Pavilion.

For more information visit www.achilles-project.com

Bodega and Dr. Romanelli continue their resurrection of classic vintage with the release of the Surgical Strike Collection.

The entire collection is individually crafted & sumptuously detailed from war tested American Military pieces secured from the northeastern regiments. Each jacket comes with a personalized prescription from the Doctor documenting the original military garment it was reconstructed from.

Working from the idea of evolving the classic silhouettes as source materials, this proves to be one of Dr. Romanelli’s most intricate endeavors.

The Surgical Strike Collection is available now at Bodega in Boston. Via Highsnobiety.

Photos of the full collection after the jump.